Trading places

What's good for businesses can be even better at home

June 20, 2004|By Pamela Sherrod, Tribune staff reporter.

NeoCon, which ended its three-day run at The Merchandise Mart Wednesday is billed as the "World's Trade Fair for Interior Design and Facilities Management." While that sounds like something that has little to do with our homes, the trade show featured furniture and furnishings that are a lot friendlier, more down-to-earth and, well, homier than its name implies. This year's unveilings continue a trend of recent years in which designers at NeoCon provide more and more crossover appeal.

There were designs at NeoCon that made us chatter, pause and think about our concept of place, space and shape. There were designs that made us think about a chair being more than just another chair and wallcoverings that were whimsical and memorable.